The invention relates generally to receptacles for contaminated wastes, particularly splash minimizing receptacles for contaminated liquid medical wastes.
Receptacles for contaminated liquid medical wastes desirably are unobtrusively positioned, yet readily accessible, within the theater of operations for a given medical procedure. One failure of the prior art receptacles for liquid medical wastes relates to the introduction of the liquid waste into the receptacle. In this respect, it is noted that in many medical procedures, there is a degree of urgency to complete the treatment, almost irrespective of the nature of the injury or medical condition being treated. This factor leads to hurried movements, and disposal of liquid medical waste presents one of the more problematic aspects of safety to the medical personnel and/or the patient. More specifically, much of the liquid medical waste generated during a medical procedure is collected or accumulated in a syringe, and in some instances the same syringe is used to collect multiple volumes of liquid from a patient. Emptying the liquid from the syringe between collections is often accomplished quickly. This factor can lead to splatter of liquid being expelled from the syringe, either from the syringe not being properly inserted into a receptacle for the liquid or splatter from the receptacle itself.
A number of different structures and assemblies, and methods of making and using receptacles for contaminated wastes are known, each having certain advantages and disadvantages. However, there is an ongoing need to provide alternative structures, assemblies, and methods for making and using receptacles for contaminated wastes.